Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1885-1890, 1887-02-12
TRAGEDY.
a Shooting ARRAY That Took Place at
an Army Post in New Mexico
The Deed OF a Desper-
ate Man.

ate Man.
"Do YOU see that young fellow over
there talking to Gov. Marmaduke! That
boy is the only living participant in one
of the great unwritten tragedies OF the
regular army. You didn't know he reg
ular army ever INDUCED in tragedies?
Before the war and the years Immediately
following that event, the United States
army could have furnished material for
the most thrilling romances Of the Oulda
or Dumas style. Immoral?: No, not
grossly so, but full of the fire and passion
and recklessness that are tine offspring OF
certain surroundings"
The old man turned to watch the
straight 1.-THE kentuckian, who had turned
away from the handsome governor and
was idly smoking and watching the stream
of humanity that night and day pours
through the Southern. He was a fine
manly fellow, without one boyish line in
his youngface. A preternaturally serious
smiling face, on which was stamped re
solve and pride, and-after hearing the
story-in the gray eyes a defiance and
challenge.
THAT man was the cause Of his fathers
death and his mothers insanity. 1t isn't a
long story, for tragedies never are long,
save in the telling, and | want you to
know the blood Of a true hentuckian.
xI spe 7 want ont n crt} ,a ltarn IL, tho -
cavalry to New Mexico. It was the close
Of the war, you know, and the regulars
were ordered West to relieve the volunteer
regiments. | was sent to s beastly little
post down in the lower country to reach
which we had to cross the 'journada del
nuerte,' and death trip it was to some
of US, too. An infantry company was sent
down by Gen. Carleton and the first lieu
tenant had a wife. Poor Warren! He
was a splendid soldier, was ready for scout
or skirmish, was no more afraid of Indians
than | am of r~attlesnakes, and the best
poker player in the garrison. He was a
good looking fellow, too, but was too easy
and devil-may-care, and after each pay
day Systematically went on q tear which
lasted about a week and left him sick and
disgusting. His wife was a beautiful wo-
man, and a facinatingg one, too. Well, as
you may imagine, the fellows went wild
about her. God, man, she was the only
white woman within 200 miles of us, and
we fairly worshiped her.
sWe had one officer in the garrison for
whom none of us entertained a friendship
HildebranI was a German and had come
iuto the regular service with a most hon
orable record for bravery and dash. But
he was a stern, saturnine, dark-skiHned,
brutal-looking man, with the reddesr lips
and the most piercing gray eyes | ever
saw. He was q magnificent looking, but
not companionable, and besides the court
estes compelled by the close intercourse
of lonely outpost life we gave him plenty
of grazing ground.
He visited Mrs. Warren, as did we all.
She was fond of horseback riding and
cribbage, and her husband hadn't thought
of jealousy; neither did any of us suspect
any wrong, for an officers wife in garrison
is a sort of foster-sister to the poor isolated
bachelors.
The men over in quarters were the first
to spit the venom-the enlisted men of the
army are the scandal mongers of the ser
vice-and, DO the circuitous routes known
to humanity, | finally got a whisper. |
think it was down at the suffers where
the Woman's Eame was first mentioned,
and Hildebrant and several of the other
fellows, too, being a little in their cups,
too much was said. Warren was drinking
heavily, and there wasn't an officer but
felt that trouble was iminent. l was the
closest friend Warren had, and [ adored
his wife, and tonight l believe her an in
nocent woman in everything exceptharm-
less Irritation and a womanish triumph of
conquest.
Il tried next day to keep Warren in bed
but he was rapidly reaching the frenzied
stage of his debauch, and about 3 O'Clock
in the afternoon go to the suffers store he
would. went, too, and left him but a
few moments. When | turned to where
he had been standing l saw him going to-
ward the quarters, and his baby boy and
Mexican nurse were coming toward the
store. Hildebrant was sitting under the
portal smoking and apparently the most
unconcelned of men. Warren paused but
a moment, RAISED his sen in his arms and
held him to bis hea /, then slowly retrac-